Catch Me If You Can
by speakforthepenguins
Summary: Dia worked as a detective with her partner Kanan and new recruit, Hanamaru, but her whole life was turned upside down when she and her partners tried to capture the elusive thief, Mari O'hara. Third years centric and eventual pairings.
1. The Chase Begins

**A/N: Pairings maybe? No idea what or who. Open to all possibilities. All Aqours characters will appear eventually,** **but not really cause no tags.** **I'm still not waiting for the anime. This will end well.** **Everyone about to be super OOC**

 **Heavily inspired by:** **post/144599021395/mafia-au-aqours-featuring-fbi-azalea-police**

 **Cover: /ginopis/status/732950429622009858**

It was the perfect night. The sky above was clear, painting a gorgeous portrait of stars. The air was slightly warm, and frequent cool breezes relieved all potential stress from heat. Even more exquisite is the fact that Mari finds herself riding in the back seat car with two of the most gorgeous people she has ever seen. Both individuals are tall and female. One possesses lovely, deep blue hair and glittering amethyst eyes. She sits next to Mari. She has a strong yet gentle gaze. Perhaps to contrast this smile, the other individual has a constant frown on her face, and she frequently looks up from driving to use it to glower at Mari. Still, the girl is gorgeous. She has dark hair, that's a color somewhere between a deep brown and light black, and every time she glares at Mari, the blonde gets a glimpse of her striking pale green eyes. Oh what a night to be alive.

"Why isn't she saying anything?" The relaxing silence, that had hung over the car, is broken by the dark haired girl.

"She doesn't have to," replies her blue haired companion.

"You searched her, correct?"

"Yes Kurosawa, completely."

Mari smirks at the memory. The blue haired girl had been very polite about it, yet being patted down by someone so gorgeous had still made Mari's heart race.

"Why is she smiling?" says the driver, accusingly.

"Because your fellow inspector got very handsy," replies Mari.

The blue haired girl blushes lightly, and the dark haired one explodes.

"Why you!"

"Careful inspector, you wouldn't want to crash the car."

"Dia, calm down," says the blue haired officer.

"Oh, so the lovely lady's name is Dia!" exclaims the blonde excitedly.

"Kanan!" hisses Dia.

"And the other lovely lady's name is Kanan!"

"Sorry," says Kanan.

"Well my name is Mari! Mari O'hara! Now, that we're all acquainted, I say we should get to know each other better. How about we start by taking these contraptions off?" she says, as she jangles the handcuffs that hold her hands in place behind her back, "unless there's an entertaining reason as to why they're on me," she says, shooting a wink Kanan's way.

Kanan manages to keep her calm but looks up toward Dia, "is she talking enough for you yet?"

"I'm hurt!" Mari objects.

"Say all you like. You've failed to steal the Golden Penguin, and now you've been captured. Your thefts in this town have come to an end," says Dia.

Mari giggles, "what if I wasn't after the Golden Penguin?"

"What?!" Dia and Kanan exclaim simultaneously.

"Kidding, kidding! My my, you two are so easily flustered, especially you, Dia."

Dia looks as if she's about to say something, but Kanan speaks before she can open her mouth.

"Don't, you'll only encourage her." Mari notes that Kanan's voice has a calming effect on the atmosphere.

The blonde looks out the window, taking in the city as it rushes by. She looks up again, at the sky.

"I suppose this really is the last time I'll see such wonderful stars." The words come out sad, and in the window's reflection, Mari sees Kanan's head turn towards her. Is that sympathy in those amethyst eyes?

"You have no one but yourself to blame for that," says Dia, her voice is cold, but she has ceased throwing glares Mari's way.

"Family is such a funny thing. You always seem to be drawn into what they want, huh? And you trust them no matter what, but sometimes what they want isn't what's best," Mari contemplates.

"Wrong. You can make your own choices," Dia counters.

"Oh? How bold, but I guess you're right. I've made my decisions, and I have no regrets."

"Mari, all you did was steal a few artifacts. You can return them. It's your family that's connected to the underground, not you. I'm sure you won't be-" Kanan begins.

"You shouldn't speak to me so casually, Kanan. We're not in middle school anymore."

The car makes a violent swear, causing Mari to fall against Kanan. Instead of moving, the blonde lets herself rest on Kanan's lap, until the blue haired girl pushes her back up. Dia regains control of the wheel.

"You know her, Kanan?" asks Dia, urgently.

"I-I, well, yes. She went to my middle school for two years."

"You didn't tell me this earlier because?"

"It was only two years, and we weren't even friends."

"Oh Kanan! You're breaking my heart, and after I was so happy to see you again…Though I'm surprised you didn't tell Dia about it, you seem so close."

"Shut up!" yells Dia from the front seat, "we're taking you somewhere not even your cohorts

will find you."

"Ah, yes. The special secret bunker, was it Hanamaru that came up with the location? She's so brilliant for a rookie inspector."

The car violently swerves for a second time.

"H-how do you know about her?" voices Kanan, incredulously.

"Kanan. Somewhere else, give me somewhere else to go, right now!" yells Dia.

"The dock! We can hide her at the dock, just for now!" Dia immediately makes a u-turn.

"Oh, a ride on a boat with you lovely ladies? Why, I'd love too but not tonight."

"Dia! There's a car behind us!"

Dia glances at the mirror and identifies a sleek black car behind them coming quickly towards them. Dia slams her foot against the accelerator.

"Kanan. Your boat is ready to go right?" asks Dia, frantically.

"Yes, I have to keys right here."

"Good to know!" Mari suddenly joins the conversation.

Dia hears a sharp click from the back seat, followed by a dull thumping noise and strained cry from Kanan, then silence. She quickly looks to the mirror, seeking what is wrong. The dark haired driver immediately slams on the breaks when she beholds the scene behind her.

Mari's handcuff are off. She has a gun in her hand. A gun, whose barrel, is pressed against an unconscious Kanan's head. A bloody bruise on Kanan's head makes Dia's own blood run cold.

"Let her go," says Dia, meeting Mari's eyes in the mirror.

"No," the playfulness has vanished from Mari's eyes and tone.

"You do not want a murder on your hands."

"You don't want Kanan's murder."

Dia's hands curl into fists. She says nothing but continues to hold Mari's steel gaze.

The black car pulls up beside them. A girl with dark blue hair exits the car. A bun sits atop the right side of her head, and she has dangerous purple eyes. Mari keeps her eyes fixed to Dia's but leans over Kanan to open the door on the unconscious woman's side. The purple-eyed enigma tosses a ring box to Mari. Mari catches it then speaks to her.

"Take her," says Mari, and the dark blue haired girl obliges. She lifts Kanan, with surprising strength, beginning to pull her from the car.

"No!" Dia objects, starting to move towards the back seat.

"Don't." The blonde's voice is cold.

Dia shakes with anger. She watches as Kanan is pulled from her car and taken into the black vehicle beside them.

Once Kanan and the other girl vanish into the other car, Mari rises.

Anger and a tad of stupidity compel Dia to turn around and speak. "I will get her back."

Mari looks over her shoulder at the inspector. "I would never allow that~"

"You will not have a say in the matter because I will have caught you."

An amused smile lights up Mari's face. Without context, it would have been a beautiful and genuine expression. Without warning, the criminal suddenly moves forward. Dia starts to jerk back but the blonde grabs her collar, preventing such a escape. The dark haired woman is so caught off guard that she doesn't react when Mari presses a small pill into her mouth. Mari's hand cover Dia's nose and mouth and force her to swallow the unwanted tablet.

"Fufu~ Alright, Ms. Dia Kurosawa, catch me if you can. Until the next time."

Mari's wink is the last thing Dia sees before everything goes dark.


	2. In Which Ruby Arrives

When Dia awakes, she finds herself in a hospital. The windows are open and a gentle breeze crests through them. By the position of the sun in the sky, it's around noon. Her headaches and so does her heart.

"B-big sis…" Dia hears small voice and turns her head sideways to see her younger sister, Ruby, sitting in the far corner.

"Ruby, why are you all the way over there?"

"O-oh, um… Well, I was sick last month and I didn't want to make you worse."

"Last month? Tch, how ridiculous. Also, why are you here? Are you not supposed to be in school?"

"I-I'm-y-yes-but… Um… IwantedtocomeseeyouI' 'tbemad," Ruby squeaks out.

Her rushed reply garners a sigh from Dia, "I am not mad, but in the future think about things a bit more before rushing off on your own. You are missing school for my sake, but what can you do tell help me? You are not a doctor, and even if you were, I am sure there are plenty of qualified doctors at this hospital, so really, there is no reason for you to be here. Your presence is of no help to me, and you are only hurting yourself."

"Y-You're right, big sis… I promise I'll leave soon then."

"That would be for the best. Say, have you spoken to any nurses or doctors? Do you know when I will be able to depart?"

"Um… I think they said you would be fine to leave when you woke up…"

"Good, I shall be leaving now then," says Dia, rising from the bed and testing her feet.

Ruby bolts up, but stays in her corner."W-Wait! Y-you should wait! The doctors might have more testing to do!"

"Did you not say that they approved of my release?"

"But I-I'm not a doctor! J-just wait Dia! Please!"

Dia sighs again, "fine."

A doctor arrives several minutes later. He asks Dia several trivial questions and informs her that her boss wants to speak with her when she is well. All while he is talking, Dia can only think of Kanan. Every minute this man takes up her time, is another minute her partner is alone with a criminal.

When Dia finally leaves, she gets a cab. Ruby comes with her but is silent as the cab drives, which allows Dia to be alone with her thoughts.

Her first thought is why? Why would Mari take Kanan? Dia tentatively guessed it had something to do with the criminal's family. Mari O'hara was the daughter of wealthy hotel owner, yet her family was rumoured to have very deep ties in both the Italian and Russian mafia. Of course, nothing had ever been proven; on all official records, the O'hara family was spotless. Until last month, when the young heiress, Mari O'hara, bafflingly cut ties with the family and began a string of bizarre robberies.

A thought strikes Dia. The thefts had been limited to one area: the area where Dia and, more importantly, Kanan had been stationed. Had Mari been after Kanan the whole time? But, why? Dia remembers Kanan mentioned the two had known each other in middle school. Could that have anything to do with it?

Dia pulls out her phone and clicks one of the numbers on speed dial.

"Whattda-I mean, hello. Oh! Dia! How are you? I was so worried. I came to check on you last night but you were out cold."

"I'm well, Hanamaru. I was wondering, do you know where Kanan went to middle school?"

"Hanamaru!?" Ruby, who had been gazing out the window, suddenly perks up and looks over.

"Oh, is that Ruby? How is she? How's law school treating her?"

"I know you two would like to reconnect, but Kanan's been kidnapped and we do not have time for such trivialities."

"Sorry," reply both girls in unison.

"Hanamaru, I will ask again, do you remember where Kanan went for middle school?"

"Yeah, it's in this area. She mentioned it once. If I remember correctly, it was a private school called Kirihara Middle School. Let me see if I can get the address."

"H-hey… Sis, do you think you can put Maru on speaker?" Ruby's voice bubbles with tentative hope.

"No, Ruby. We are discussing information not meant for civilians," replies Dia.

"O-oh, s-sorry."

" I can't seem to find it on Google Maps. Huh, and here I thought Google was all powerful... "

"Are you sure it was called Kirihara? I've lived in this area for four years, but I haven't heard of a Kirihara Middle School," says Dia.

"K-kirihara? O-o-h! That was a middle school owned by the O'hara family, but it closed a long time ago," Ruby suddenly pipes from the other seat.

Dia turns to look at her sister.

"How does she know that?" asks Hanamaru.

"How do you know that?" asks Dia.

"I-I l-looked u-up the p-person I k-knew you were chasing!" Realizing she has said something useful, a confidence enters Ruby's voice. This confidence is immediately dashed by Dia's next sentence.

"Should you not be studying strictly for school? What good will looking into the O'hara family do for you?"

"I-I'm sorry, I just w-wanted to k-know what you were up to and stuff…"

"Hey Dia! Ruby was right! It closed ten years ago. The O'hara's pulled funds, and it basically couldn't sustain itself without them," says Hanamaru over the phone.

"That's not helpful. Can you get me anyone who might have know Kanan or Mari O'hara when they were there?"

"Hmmm…. That might take some digging, but I'll see what I can do!"

"I will come in now to help then."

"No no, go home and rest."

"I am sorry. I can not do that."

"You have to take of Ruby though, right?"

Dia turns and her gaze fixes on Ruby, who practically melts under Dia's inspection.

"Big sis?" tries Ruby, unaware of why her sister is staring at her so intensely.

"You're right, Hanamaru. I will be in first thing tomorrow morning."

"See you then! Tell Ruby to say 'hi' before she goes back to school."

"Good bye, see you tomorrow," says Dia, before snapping the phone shut.

The rest of the car ride is characterized by Dia's icey, frustrated silence. Ruby mirrors her sister's silence, fidgeting slightly every once and awhile.

When they arrive at Dia's apartment, Dia pays the fee and exits the cab. Ruby gets a small suitcase from the trunk of the cab, before stumbling along behind her sister. The two go up to the apartment. Dia unlocks the door and pushes it open. Ruby peaks in through the door.

The apartment is spotless. Dust and dirt are a foreign concept. Every item has its own place; though, there aren't many personal belongings to speak of. Ruby enters after Dia does. The pink haired girl looks as if she scared of her presence will disturb the strict ambiance of the apartment.

"Make yourself comfortable. I will make something to eat."

"O-oh! Can I help?"

"Hm… I am not the best chef, so I will allow you to assist me."

Ruby looks as if she could cry for happiness. She sprints to the kitchen.

"What are we making!?"

"I'm not sure."

Dia turns to the fridge and sees one of the only photographs she owns: a photo of her and Kanan eating ice cream. She stares at it momentarily.

" _I'm coming for you, Kanan. I promise, I will find you, and Mari O'hara will be put to justice. This I solemnly swear."_

The unspoken vow is so powerful, that, if he exists, God surely heard.


	3. Aboard the Ship of the Thief

A life on the near the sea tell Kanan she's on a boat; though, the room she's in seems to nice to be a room on a boat. It is quite larger and boasts a deep red carpet and a high ceiling but is sparsely finished. Kanan lies squarely in the center of giant four poster bed. The mattress is sufficiently comfortable, and the sheets are silky to the touch.

Around the time she discovers the softness of the sheets is when she identifies a throbbing on her head. Kanan lifts a hand, gentling touching the abrasion. Someone has dressed and bandaged it, but it still stings.

Kanan tries to remember what happened. Mari had somehow gotten her handcuffs off. This had surprised Kanan, who had then been caught off guard and rendered unconscious by the blonde. Suddenly, Kanan sits up. Dia. What happened to Dia?

The head wound throbs as Kanan gets to her feet, but her steps, if not steady, are at least functional.

She is about halfway to the door when, through it comes a tall, perky blonde with a bewitching smile.

"Kanan! You're awake."

Kanan sees the open door and runs for it, but Mari moves quickly into the room and closes the door behind her.

Kanan stops as the door shuts.

"It locks from the outside," Mari informs her. This information prompts another move from Kanan.

The blue haired girl lunges at Mari, tackling and pinning her to the ground. Kanan is surprised when she meets no resistance. Mari doesn't even attempt to break her grip; she only lies on her back, gazing up at Kanan with a mischievous grin.

"You're stuck in here with me then," points out Kanan.

"I guess you're right, but," Mari winks, "I'm glad you're the one who's trapped me."

"Where's Dia?" demands Kanan.

The question cause Mari smirk to be replaced with something softer.

"'Not let me go?' or 'where am I?', you always did put everyone before yourself. I admired that, I still do."

"Don't change the subject, Mari. Where is she?"

"She's fine. I didn't take her with me, and I left here physically unharmed."

Kanan holds back a sign of relief.

"The relief on your face is adorable."

Kana ignores the comment. "Why am I here?"

"Hmmm... I don't exactly feel like answering that, sorry Kanan."

Kanan is appalled by how sincere Mari's voice makes such a sentence; nonetheless, she presses the woman harder. Her grip tightens on the blonde's wrists, nails digging into the tender skin.

"Mari, answer me."

If the criminal is in pain, she doesn't show it. She keeps a gentle gaze fixed on Kanan and says nothing.

"Mari!" Kanan's voice grows more desperate, and this provokes a reaction from Mari.

"I'll tell you if you do me a favor."

"What?"

"Have lunch with me."

"H-have lunch?" Kanan's grip relaxing, and Mari begins sit up.

"Yes. What would you like?"

"You're psychotic." Kanan wonders if Mari can hear the panic in her voice. I'm

Mari sits up fully, resulting in Kanan resting on her knees between Mari's legs. Kanan half expects her to make a flirtatious comment, but she doesn't. Instead, the blonde leans foreword touching her forehead to Kanan's.

"I'm sorry. You won't be here for too long, Kanan."

Kanan identifies a sadness in Mari's voice. It's the same sadness she heard in the police car. Mari's tone does its best to stop its existence, yet the melancholy defies her, ringing, if only for an instant, in the girl's voice.

"Mari... What are you doing?" The strange tone is unnerving.

"Being selfish, only for a short while longer, mind you."

Kanan gives a long sigh, half relief, half exasperation. Still, it doesn't seem like the blonde wants to hurt her.

"So?" Mari's voice has returned to normal.

"So?"

"Will you have lunch with me?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Of course, I already forced you to come with me. I won't force you eat with me... I might give you a BIG shove though." Kanan can't tell whether the last sentence is a joke or not.

"Alright, Mari, you win."

"What? It's an in-vit-tat-ion," Mari emphasizes the syllables of invitation, "not a competition."

Kanan thinks about trying to overpower Mari as the blonde leaves the room, but Mari is so strangely unpredictable that Kanan is unsure as to whether it's a good idea.

* * *

Mari leaves the room strangely encouraged. She wonders what she'll make for lunch.

On her way to the kitchen, the black door of a cabin to her right spoils Mari's mood. She stops in front of and knocks.

"Yoshiko? Riko? It's Mari. May I come in?"

"Yes," says a strained voice that Mari recognizes as Yoshiko.

* * *

Riko looks up as the door swings open. Before Mari entered, Riko had been lying on the bed, staring through a porthole. Yoshiko lay next to her, looking at a book. Riko would have though she was reading, if not for the fact that the book was upside down and written in English, a language which, Riko was fairly certain, Yoshiko was not familiar with.

As the door swings open, the ever smiling face of Mari O'hara is revealed.

"GOOD AFTERNOON! Oh my, why are all the lights off? Also also, I'm making everyone lunch! What would you like for lunch?"

Yoshiko sits up, she makes an effort to smile. Riko notes that the girl always makes an effort around Mari.

"The spirits told me that strawberries would be a delicious course!"

"Strawberries? Is that a meal?"

"Mari, you don't have to make anything," says Riko, sitting up next to Yoshiko.

"No no Riko! I told you, leave everything to mother Mari! I shall prove to my extensive knowledge of Japanese, American, AND Italian cousin!"

"You mean cuisine?" says Riko, skeptically.

"Shhh! Everything will be okay. You too just relax... Though you really should leave this room."

"Ufufu! Us denizens of darkness must live in shadow."

"No no Yoshiko! Come outside! It's beautiful!"

"Mari, it's dangerous for us," Riko interjects.

"We're on a boat. No ones going to find us out here. Mother Mari smashed up the GPS... Actually maybe I shouldn't have done that..."

"Oh Mari! You can not understand our plight. Yohane is a dangerous to all mortals-"

"No no Yoshiko!"

"I just said Yoha-"

"There's no one here but you, Riko, me, and Kanan, but she's locked in a room. And, Riko is immune to any danger you could cause her. And, like I said, don't worry about me because it's my job to worry about you."

"Mari! I fear you can not resist my powers." Yoshiko's attempt to keep her voice playful is clearly failing. As Mari pushes her to go outside, her panic becomes obvious.

Riko steps in. "Mari...just let us stay inside. We're okay here."

Mari looks at Yoshiko, then at Riko. Realizing she's lost to a majority, she frowns.

"Are you both afraid of hurting me?" Mari's tone has done a drastic 180. The change makes Riko's heart beat faster.

"You shouldn't be afraid. I don't deserve any worry."

"Mari, leave us alone, please."

Mari's eyes lock with Riko's. The piercing orbs seem to gaze deep into Riko's heart. Then the blonde begins to walk toward the bed. Riko thinks about running, but she has nowhere to run too. Mari sits on the corner of the bed. Yoshiko looks away, but Riko is trapped by gorgeous golden eyes.

"You remember what I said that day?" Mari breaks eye contact with Riko and looks at Yoshiko, who is still facing away from her. "Both of you remember, correct?"

"Yes," answer Yoshiko and Riko.

"Then you should know. You don't have to worry anymore. Kanan's with me now, so I won't hesitate. I don't want either one of you to think about me, ever."

Mari looks again at Riko. Her eyes speak four words, "let me prove it."

"Yoshiko, look at me."

Yoshiko hesitates, but Mari grabs her arm with one hand and turns Yoshiko's face with another.

Both Riko and Yoshiko jump as Mari's hands make contact with Yoshiko's bare skin.

"Mari! I'm not where gloves and my face! Let go! Mari! I'll hurt you, " Yoshiko yells.

A sizzling sound fills the air, followed the smell of burning flesh. Yoshiko tries to pull away, but Mari holds her fast.

"Riko! Stop her!"

Riko is paralyzed; she stares, stunned, at the scene in front of her.

"No, Yoshiko, I said, don't worry."

"Mari, please! Let go!"

"Calm down, Yoshiko."

Riko watches as Yoshiko frantically struggles to break free. The auburn haired girl still can't move. Why is Mari letting go? How can she possibly hold onto Yoshiko for so long?

"RIKO! DO SOMETHING!"

Yoshiko's shouts finally reach Riko.

"Mari, stop it."

Mari let's go and Yoshiko pulls away from her. There are tears in her purple eyes, but physically, she is completely unharmed.

"Mari, your hands," says Riko.

Mari holds up her hands. The flesh is angry, red, and burnt; several bubbles have formed on the surface, making the skin look almost liquid.

"It will heal. I did this to me, not the other way around, Yoshiko. Had I not made you, you never would have harmed me."

Yoshiko looks at her hands, then at Mari. Then, she asks the question Riko had been thinking, "does it hurt?"

"Oh, quite a bit actually. No no no, don't you dare look guilty, and don't look away from me either, or I'll have to make you look again."

Riko watches as Mari manages to catch Yoshiko's eyes with her own, and transfixes the blue haired girl with the power of her spell.

"Yoshiko, it does hurt. It hurts a lot, but it's nothing, absolutely nothing compared to what you and Riko have gone through."

Yoshiko looks up at Mari with utter amazement. Mari smiles warmly at her, and leans extremely close to the blue haired girl.

"I worry about you and Riko. Not the other way around."

Mari pulls back and slides off the bed.

"So, I'm going to go get a first aid kit because I might have burned myself." Mari frowns, "wait how am I going to make lunch?"

"I can make something," offers Riko.

Mari looks as if she might die from happiness.

"You guys make something? How exciting! Make enough for Kanan too, okay? She's joining us for lunch."

Yoshiko slips on a pair of long black gloves that slide up to her elbows.

"Do you want help with your burns?" she asks.

"No no, I think you should help Riko make lunch."

"Okay."

"Alright, ciao~ See you in about thirty minutes."

Mari leaves the room.

"Are you alright, Yoshiko?"

"Yes, I am." Yoshiko looks at the door. "Her touch, it was so gentle, gentle yet firm. It was nice."

Riko smiles at Yoshiko. Then, she reaches over and brushes a strand of hair behind Yoshiko's ear. Her finger grazes against the girl's cheek but there's no burning as in the case of Mari.

"Let's go make lunch, Yoshiko."

"It's Yohane!"

"Sheesh... Alright 'Yohane', let's go make lunch."

"The spirits still say we must include strawberries."


	4. Food and Rest

**A/N: I am Kanamari 100% but I'm thinking about Diamari for this one? Or DiaKanan?**

"Dia? Is it supposed to be on fire?"

"What?!"

Dia whirls around to find that the pan is aflame.

"EEK!"

"Step back Ruby!"

Dia lifts the fire extinguisher and frantically blows it at the flames on the stove. Ruby fills a pot with water and throws it on the fire. This has the opposite of Ruby's intention: the fire surges higher.

"Ruby! I said get back!"

"AHHHHH!"

The flames get higher.

* * *

You Watanabe stares, confused at the sister duo in front of her.

"You were making salad?" she asks incredulously.

"Yes," responds Dia, "we are sorry for the disturbance."

You sighs, "well I'm glad you're both alright, and I heard about what happened on the news, Dia. I'm sorry."

The frown on Dia's face darkens at the mentioning of the previous night.

"I should get back to work. I am grateful to have such an understanding landlady, thank you, ."

"Geez... I've told you! It's You! ' ' makes me sound like I'm fifty. Do I look fifty to you?"

"In that case, thank you, You." Dia lips tighten at the awkwardness of casual speech. "I'm going back to work."

Dia re-enters the slightly smokey apartment, leaving You outside with the smaller, pink haired sibling.

"So you're Ruby?"

"Yes!" says Ruby.

"Dia's mentioned you before. Though I'm sure I would've recognized you even if she hadn't, what with you being from the famous Kurosawa family."

"Ah... Yes..."

The conversation stagnates. You does her best to revive it.

"So... You go to law school?"

"Y-yes!"

"That's cool. I think it's great that both you and your sister are pursuing careers, especially because you're some of the first women in your family to do so."

"Yeah... My family is very traditional..."

"One of the oldest and most prestigious in Japan, though," You points out.

"Well... Not really... Not after we lost so much of our money..."

You can yet again feel the conversation dying.

"So... How do you like school?"

The landlady instantly regrets asking the question; the moment it leaves her lips, Ruby seems to become even more nervous.

"I-it's good. It's a good challenge for me. And I'm gl-gl-ad, I g-et to go..."

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Y-yes!" says Ruby, while rubbing her eyes, "I'm sorry I have to go help my sister..."

"Ruby-"

The door closes quietly and quickly behind the pink haired girl.

You frowns, it seems both Kurosawa sisters have trouble with regular conversation, but they're still nice enough for You's liking. Though Dia can be rather blunt, and while You likes the transparent honesty, she sees how it could be difficult for Ruby. She decides to toss a friendly word the girl's way, whenever she should next see her

.

* * *

Kanan sits in bed, hungrily awaiting her promised lunch. When she hears a click at the door, the thought of making a run for it occurs to her, but her desire to learn more about Mari stops her.

The door swings open; Mari waltzes through it, bearing her typical smile and a plate of sandwiches.

"Hello! Kanan! I have some people I want you to meet!"

Through the door come two more girls. One, slightly taller, with lovely golden eyes and long auburn hair. She looks distrustfully at Kanan. The other, short with dark blue hair and amethyst eyes, balances an absurdly large plate of strawberries on her head and wears a mischievous grin. She glances only once at Kanan before returning to her balancing act. Kanan notices that she wears a pair of long black gloves, strange, considering how it's not remotely cold.

"This is Lily, " says Mari, pointing at the auburn haired girl, "and this is Yoyo!" She points to the other girl.

"Lily?"

"Yoyo?"

Both girls are clearly not thrilled by their titles.

"I'm Kanan," offers Kanan.

"Mari! This name is unacceptable, as a demon of darkness I must refuse."

"Yoyo! It's a cover up, like a super secret cover name! What should Kanan's be?"

Yoyo looks at Kanan.

"Hmmm... We shall decide over the noon feast! Also also! Mari, you should get one too!"

"For the secret mission?!"

Kanan stares flabbergasted at the pair. She looks to Lily, wondering if the girl is as befuddled as she is. Lily looks on calmly with a small smile on her face. Perhaps feeling Kanan's gaze, she turns and smiles politely at her. There's still a level of mistrust, but the girl is too polite to let it prevent her from being cordial.

"Would you like a sandwich? I'm sorry if they're not up to your standards. I'm not a very accomplished chef," asks Lily.

"I would love a sandwich."

Kanan accepts the meal and takes a bite. It's not great, but Kanan is hungry enough that the taste is more than sufficient.

"Who taught you to cook? Mari?" asks Kanan.

The two briefly look at the blonde. Mari is currently throwing strawberries at Yoyo's mouth.

"Not really, I sort of taught myself. mostly sandwiches. I've made pasta a few times too," replies Lily.

Kanan smiles warmly. It feels like ages since she's talked to someone so level headed.

"You have a natural talent for it then, take it from someone who thought about being a chef herself."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Why did you become a cop then?"

"Oh, so you know about my job?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, Mari told us about you. I'm sorry that she brought you here. To be honest, I'm not too sure as to why she kidnapped you."

The information surprises Kanan. She had thought Mari would be more open with her cospirators.

"So? I don't mean to intrude, but I'm curious as to why you became a cop."

"Well... It was a matter of protecting people, really, protecting people and protecting this town. I didn't think I could manage that as a chef. I still cook in my free time. If Mari would allow it, I'd be happy to teach you some meals."

"Mari will allow it!" chimes in Mari, "in fact, Mari will demand that Lily take classes from Kaka!"

"No Mari! I told you! These names are terrible!" says Yoyo, throwing a strawberry at Mari.

The blonde girl dodges left and the strawberry hits the wall.

"Are they always like this?" Kanan asks Lily.

"Well... Yoshi- I mean Yoyo actually really looks up to Mari, but yeah, they mess around like this all the time."

"I see, must be exhausting."

"No, it's nice to see Yoyo enjoy herself."

Kanan notes that some distance exists in the way Lily addresses Mari, though no such space exists in the way she speaks of Yoyo. The blue haired girl looks again at Mari and notices something. Mari's hands are heavily bandaged.

"Lily, what happened to Mari's hands?"

Kanan notes a pang of guilt in Lily's otherwise open expression.

"I don't know... She was fixing the engine..."

Kanan can feel the girl closing up, so she changes the subject back to cooking to keep the conversation going. The lunch lasts the whole day, eventually turning into the evening. Kanan mostly speaks to Lily. She finds herself liking the girl quite a lot, so much so that she almosts forget she's a prisoner and that Lily is likely one of her captors. When the three girls leave, Kanan feels almost guilty for enjoying herself so much.

* * *

After they nearly starting a fire while trying to make lunch, Dia and Ruby ordered Chinese for lunch and ate what was left over for dinner. The rest of the day was strenuous for Dia. Between lunch and dinner she'd had to write paper after paper explaining the previous night, and she knew she'd still have to explain further when she went in tomorrow. Explaining wasn't what she wanted to spend her time on. What she wanted to do was track down Mari O'hara and save Kanan, yet as the evening came, she found she had made little to no progress on the subject. Likewise, her partner Hanamaru hadn't been successful in learning anything about Kirihara Middle School. A phone call to the O'hara family had result in many redirect to many different people, who, in the end, only led Dia in circles. Utterly defeated, Dia went to bed early under the urging of her sister.

Dia let Ruby take the bed and slept on the couch herself. Without her consent, she had bought her younger sister a train ticket for tomorrow that would take her back to school. There was no reason for Ruby to stay here. In fact, she was in more danger for being here.

Gripped by failure and exhausted by work, sleep engulfed Dia like an unwanted but necessary friend.

* * *

Lunch had been exhausting. Kanan had never thought eating a meal could have been so tiring. Keeping up with Mari was tiring. It didn't help that Yoshiko seemed almost as insane as the blonde. Kanan's only tether to the earth had been the soft spoken Riko. Their polite small talk had grounded the lunch table, preventing it from being lift into space by the force of Mari and Yohane.

Kanan's thoughts turn to Mari. She wonders what the girl is planning and why she had imprisoned Kanan. Mari is such an odd character and so frustratingly unpredictable. Seemingly insane, but perhaps that simply belied a striking intelligence.

Kanan tries to recall the time they spent in school together. They hadn't been friends. Kanan was fairly certain they had only spoken a couple times, and none of the conversations had been memorable. Mari had kept mostly to herself, and Kanan would've never gone as far as to think the two had a relationship of anything more than acquaintances.

Fruitless searching slowly pulls Kanan toward sleep, when suddenly a recollection shocks her awake. She remembers: one of her closest friends had had a run in with Mari back at Kirihara Middle School.

* * *

"Tatami Chika!" Hanamaru looks up triumphantly from her screen.

Realizing how loud she had been, she looks around and is glad to see no one else is still at the office. Reassured that she has not disrupted anyone, she looks back to the screen, scanning over the article. Hanamaru almost reaches for her phone, wanting to call Dia, but decides against it; the woman needs some sleep.

Ruby lies silently until she is certain Dia is asleep. Then, she quietly pulls out her phone and begins researching. Perhaps if she can find something, her sister won't be as eager to see her go back to school. Ruby trembles at the thought of school. She silently prays that she won't ever have to go back. Law school is hell. Yet, Ruby hadn't been brave enough to tell her parents or Dia about wanting to leave. There is no point. Ruby can well imagine both their responses.

Her parents would smile sweetly and console; then, they would turn around set her up on a date with some nice, respectable young man. Dia would do nothing to comfort Ruby. She would simply tell her younger sister to drop out of she didn't like it, as if it was that easy. Dia had always been able to ignore the pressure from their parents, but Ruby was different. She knew if she dropped out now, she would be at the mercy of her parent's wishes, and Ruby hated that idea more than she hated law school.

Ruby snaps back to reality. She shouldn't be thinking of her own self-inflicted problems when Dia's partner is missing. She returns to her research, determined to help her big sister.

"Where are you, Mari O'hara?"

* * *

Mari enters her room with hesitating desperation. Once in, she stumbles to her bed and collapses in it. Soft blankets surround her. She couldn't be more relieved. The tears come several second after the relief. Their cause is a mix of pain from marks Kanan left on her wrists and the bandaged burns on her hands. More than that is the heaviness in her heart: a crushing, mental pressure that challenges her ability to intake air. Without fail, the concoction of remorse and fear and worry overwhelm her, as they do every night. Mari doesn't try to stop the tears. She knows they must come eventually, and it's better that they come under the cover of night.

"Breath," she tells herself.

Her wrists string. Her hands burn. Her breaths catch in her throat. Mari presses her face in a pillow and closes her eyes, but even sleep has abandoned her, so she turns her head to look out the small porthole. The stars and the moon are far away, and their chilling light is of little comfort. Mari finds her thoughts slowly leaving her control; strangely, they shift to the young inspector she saw the previous night, Dia Kurosawa. Oddly, thoughts of Dia are comforting. For a moment, Mari wishes Dia would catch her. Prison might be less painful. Once captured, Mari would lose her responsibilities and worries. The thought is disgustingly selfish; Mari curses herself and shoves it away.

But, her thoughts continue to be centered around the inspector. Mari wonders what Dia looks like when she sleeps, what Dia had for lunch and dinner, and who, if anyone, Dia spent her night with. She speculates as to how close the inspector is to catching her. Dia stays in Mari's mind until she begins to see the dim light of dawn seeping through the porthole. It is then that sleep finally accepts her.

* * *

Dia awakes as soon as the sun begins to stream through her curtains. It is time for the chase to begin


End file.
